4 November 2010

Basic Mechanical Engineering-
Hydraulic Turbines
4 November 2010
Hydraulic (Water) Turbines
• Basic working principle:

Hydraulic turbines convert the potential energy of water into
mechanical work.
• Three most popular hydraulic turbines are :
• Pelton wheel (Pelton turbine)

• Kaplan turbine (Propeller turbine)
• Francis turbine
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Classification of Water Turbines
Based on action of water:
1. Impulse turbine – pelton wheel.
2. Reaction turbine – francis and kaplan.
Based on name of originator:
1. Pelton turbine or Pelton wheel
2. Francis turbine
3. Kaplan turbine
Based on head of water:
1. Low head turbine
2. Medium head turbine
3. High head turbine
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Students | VTU NOTES | QUESTION
PAPERS 3
Pelton Wheel (Pelton turbine)
• This turbine is named after Lester A. Pelton (1829 – 1908) an
American
Engineer who developed it in the year 1880.
• Pelton wheel is a high head turbine. It is used with heads of more
than 500
metres. Note : A head is the distance the water falls before it strikes the
turbine blades.
4 November 2010
Pelton Wheel (Pelton turbine)…
• The flow of water is tangential
to the runner. So it is a
tangential flow impulse turbine.
• A Pelton’s runner consists of a
single wheel mounted on a
horizontal shaft.
• Water falls towards the turbine
through a pipe called penstock
and flows through a nozzle.
• The high speed jet of water hits
the buckets (vanes) on the
wheel and causes the wheel to
rotate.
• A spear rod which has a spear
shaped end can be moved by a
hand wheel.
This movement controls the flow
of water leaving the nozzle, before
it strikes the bucket(vane)
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• The bucket or vane is so shaped that when the water strikes, it gets
split into
two and gives it an impulse force in the centre of the bucket. This bucket is
also known as splitter.
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Pelton Turbine Runner
PAPERS 8
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Kaplan turbine (Propeller turbine)
• Kaplan turbine is a type of propeller turbine which was developed
during 1900’s by the Austrian engineer Victor Kaplan (1876 – 1934)
• Kaplan turbine is a low head turbine and used for heads of less than
80 metres.
• The runner of a kaplan turbine resembles with propeller of a ship.
That is why, a Kaplan turbine is also called as propeller turbine.
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Kaplan turbine (Propeller turbine)…
• The turbine wheel, which is

completely under water, is
turned by the pressure of water
against its blades.
• Guide vanes regulate the

amount of water reaching the
wheel.
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PAPERS
Francis turbine
• It is named after James B. Francis (1815 – 1892) an English born
inventor
who developed the turbine in the year 1849.
• It is used when the head is between 80 to 500 metres. i.e. it is a
medium head
turbine.
• It is a mixed flow reaction turbine.
4 November 2010
Francis turbine…
• A Francis turbine rotates in a
closed casing.
• Its wheel has many curved
blades called runner vanes as
many as 24.
• Its shaft is vertical. The wheel
of a Francis turbine operates
under water.
• The guide vanes and stay
vanes control the amount of
water flowing into the runner
vanes.
• The runner is rotated mainly
due to the weight or pressure of
the flowing water.
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PAPERS 19
PAPERS 20
Hydraulic turbines…
Difference between Kaplan turbine and Francis

turbine:
Sl.No. Kaplan turbine Francis turbine
1 Water enters the runner vanes Water enters the runner vanes
axially and leaves axially, hence radially and leaves axially, hence
it is called axial flow turbine. it is called a mixed flow turbine.
2 The number of blades in the The number of blades in the
runner is generally between 3 runner is generally between 16
and 8. and 24.
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Hydraulic turbines…
Difference between Impulse and Reaction hydraulic

turbines:
Sl.No. Impulse turbine Reaction turbine
e.g. Pelton turbine e.g. Kaplan & Francis turbines
1 In an impulse turbine all the In a reaction turbine, at the
available energy of water is entrance to the runner, only a part
converted into kinetic energy as it of the available energy of water is
passes through a nozzle. converted into kinetic energy and
a greater part remains in the form
of pressure energy.
2 The water flowing through the The water is guided by the guide
nozzle impinges on the buckets blades to flow over the runner
which are fixed on the outer vanes.
periphery of the wheel.
4 November 2010
Videos and Animations
1. Pelton Francis Kaplan turbine animation
4 November 2010
Thank You
4 November 2010
PAPERS 25

4 November 2010

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Basic Mechanical Engineering-

• Basic working principle:

• Three most popular hydraulic turbines are :

• Pelton wheel (Pelton turbine)

www.bookspar.com | Website for

• The turbine wheel, which is

• Guide vanes regulate the

Difference between Kaplan turbine and Francis

Difference between Impulse and Reaction hydraulic

1. Pelton Francis Kaplan turbine animation

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